P.E.I. releases names of corporations involved in immigrant program

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CHARLOTTETOWN - The P.E.I. government has released the names of 1,300 corporations that received money through the Island's troubled immigration nominee program.

The program allowed foreign investors to fast-track receipt of Canadian visas by providing about $150,000, some of which was invested in P.E.I. companies.

Innovation Minister Allen Roach said the information was released Tuesday as the result of a judicial review launched in 2010 after the province's privacy commissioner said the information should not be made public.

Last week, the review concluded that the commissioner's decision was not reasonable.

In August, the Canada Border Services Agency said it had not found sufficient evidence to lay charges following an investigation into the program.

In September 2011, the federal Immigration Department referred allegations that the immigration program was marred by bribery to the agency.

The accusations surfaced after a former employee of the program alleged that senior provincial officials were bribed in order to expedite immigration applications.